I'd *much* rather it didn't take "a specialised team of gun-trained officers". Would you make law enforcement professionals with actual experience with guns a scarce commodity that has to be called in for emergencies, like a SWAT team? What would be the benefit in that?
Whereas here, what, they're expected to worry about whether it's legal for this guy to have firearms tucked in his back pocket?
...no, they're expected to be aware of the risks inherent in being a law enforcement officer. A couple of years ago in my country [where carry permits have so many idiotic requirements, most law abiding citizens have no chance of ever getting one] a policeman was killed by a teenager with a knife. Assault on a police officer is a very thoroughly prosecuted crime regardless of the weapon, its legality, and the extent of injuries sustained by the cop in question. Still, people in high-risk professions run a higher risk of getting hurt on the job, you know?
Now, trigger-happy cops worry me much more than a citizen trying to let law enforcement professionals know that he's legally carrying a firearm. Like this case in Seattle. (http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/09/john_williams_native_american.php) This is also relevant to the topic of this post - police officers should know better than to shout down someone trying to give them vital information, shoot a deaf carver, put 19 out of 41 bullets into a Guinean immigrant, mistake their sidearm for a Taser, etc, etc. They're supposed to be trained to know better. [Key words here being "supposed to", as the system looks quite broken.]
(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-23 10:38 am (UTC)Whereas here, what, they're expected to worry about whether it's legal for this guy to have firearms tucked in his back pocket?
...no, they're expected to be aware of the risks inherent in being a law enforcement officer. A couple of years ago in my country [where carry permits have so many idiotic requirements, most law abiding citizens have no chance of ever getting one] a policeman was killed by a teenager with a knife. Assault on a police officer is a very thoroughly prosecuted crime regardless of the weapon, its legality, and the extent of injuries sustained by the cop in question. Still, people in high-risk professions run a higher risk of getting hurt on the job, you know?
Now, trigger-happy cops worry me much more than a citizen trying to let law enforcement professionals know that he's legally carrying a firearm. Like this case in Seattle. (http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/09/john_williams_native_american.php) This is also relevant to the topic of this post - police officers should know better than to shout down someone trying to give them vital information, shoot a deaf carver, put 19 out of 41 bullets into a Guinean immigrant, mistake their sidearm for a Taser, etc, etc. They're supposed to be trained to know better. [Key words here being "supposed to", as the system looks quite broken.]